6 Jul 2019

Jordan pushes bill to limit firearm ownership
Members of Jordan’s lower house are working to push forward a bill that would prevent citizens from purchasing automatic or semi-automatic firearms, even if they are to be used for hunting. The legislation does not grandfather in those who already own such weapons, forcing people with legal permits to hand them over to the authorities.

IAF’s orders transport, refueler planes back to service
Israel’s Air Force fleet of Karnaf C-130 cargo planes and Re’em Boeing 707 refueling planes will return to service next week after they were grounded by the military last month. The military said on Friday the decision to return the planes to service came after the IAF and the government-owned IAI, which maintains the aircraft, “fixed the immediate shortcomings” and drafted a plan to further improve maintenance and quality control.

Thousands of Gazans protest along border fence for weekly riots
Some 7,500 Palestinians violently demonstrated along the border on Friday with at least 41 injured by IDF troops, who used riot dispersal means against the protesters, including live fire. Palestinian media reported that 22 protesters were injured by live bullets and another 19 by rubber-coated rounds. IDF troops detained two Palestinians near the border fence with the Gaza Strip…after they were suspected of infiltrating into Israeli territory.

Turkey’s Erdogan fires central bank chief Murat Cetinkaya
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has fired the governor of the central bank and replaced him with his deputy. No official reason was given for the sacking of Murat Cetinkaya, who had held the position since April 2016. However, it comes amid reports of disagreements over interest rates, which the government wants to lower in a bid to boost economic growth.

Iranian official threatens to seize British oil tanker
An Iranian official has said a British oil tanker should be seized, if a detained Iranian ship is not released. British Royal Marines helped officials in Gibraltar to seize the super-tanker Grace 1 on Thursday, after it was suspected of carrying oil from Iran to Syria, in breach of EU sanctions. A court in Gibraltar has ruled the ship can be detained for a further 14 days.

Ancient city of Babylon designated Unesco World Heritage Site
The ancient Mesopotamian city of Babylon has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. Iraq had been lobbying since 1983 for the 4,000-year-old site to be added to the United Nations’ prestigious list. The city was famous for its Hanging Gardens, which were among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The site has suffered in recent years – first from the construction of a palace for Saddam Hussein, and later from being used as a base for US troops.

California earthquake: Larger 7.1 magnitude quake hits
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has rattled parts of Southern California, the biggest tremor to strike in 20 years. It struck at the shallow depth of 0.9km (0.6 miles) and its epicentre was near the city of Ridgecrest, about 240km north-east of Los Angeles. A 6.4-magnitude quake hit the same area on Thursday at a depth of nearly 11km.

Alaska heatwave: Anchorage hits record temperature
The US state of Alaska, part of which lies inside the Arctic Circle, is sweltering under a heatwave, with record temperatures recorded in several areas, including its largest city. Temperatures reached 90F (32C) in Anchorage on Thursday, shattering the city’s previous record of 85F. Several other places in southern Alaska also set all-time or daily records.

Russia Declares It Will Continue To Develop Venezuelan Armed Forces
In spite of reports that a ‘deal’ had been worked out between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Venezuela’s future, and the recent departure of Russian ‘advisors’ from Caracas, Russia today declared it will continue to help develop the armed forces of the dictator Nicolas Maduro.

The Once Red State Of Texas Is Now Purple And On Its Way To Turning Blue As Gays, Transgenders And Illegal Immigrant Voters Having Huge Impact
I am old enough to remember when California was a rock-solid Red State that helped usher Ronald Reagan into the White House back in 1980, and yes, Reagan was the first person I ever voted for. But here in the 21st century, California is a dystopian Liberal state that more and more is coming to resemble a Third World country than the fabled Golden State lauded in stories, songs and movies. You find that a lot in states that are dominated by Liberals and Leftist policies. Now Texas, already a purple state, is flirting with finishing the job of putting lace on the cowboy’s britches.

Is Palestinian Islamic Jihad Trying to Drag the Gaza Strip into a War against Israel?
The organization’s involvement in directing activity during the violent civilian incidents along the Israel-Gaza security barrier is also evident. Clearly the organization has adopted a bolder and more independent approach toward Israel, and unlike in the past, its activities are not fully coordinated with Hamas and at times are even undertaken contrary to Hamas’s position.

Warren Buffett Philanthropy Donates $3.6 billion – to Support AbortionWarren Buffett continues to boast of his philanthropic agenda. Most recently he announced that he would again donate $3.6 billion to five charities that have benefited from him in the past: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Sherwood Foundation, NoVo Foundation, Howard G Buffett Foundation and Susan Thompson Foundation. With the exception of the Gates Foundation, the other four are controlled by his children. In essence, he is transferring his estate without paying estate taxes…

Russian Submarine Theories Abound: Sent To Kill The Internet & Sank US Sub
…Though the White House hasn’t commented on Pence’s canceling of his political event in New Hampshire, there is a lot of hush hush about what actually was going on but we are told it was not an “emergency.” The timing of what went on in Russia and what went on in the US has led to widespread speculation that the Russian submarine fire is the key to the mystery. From theories that it was sent to cut undersea cables that provide internet to the world to it being involved in an underwater battle with a US submarine, there seems to be no end in sight as to the speculation.